BIOCONTROL

 

Biological control of Botrytis cinerea

There is a need to develop chemical and/or biological control tools against wide spectrum of pathogens that cause severe looses of important agricultural crops is important in nowadays . We recently isolated L12 Pseudozima aphidis isolate with a biological control ability. The application of yeast like fungus, L12 isolate succeeds to significantly abolish growth of Botrytis cinerea that have more the 400 different hosts. It can also control different fungal causal agents of plant diseases such powdery mildew (Podosphaera xanthii), crown rust (Puccinia coronata), the black spot disease of cultivated Brassicas (Alternaria brassicicola) and the soil-born pathogen that cause late wilt in corn (Harpophora maydis) and melon wilt (Fusarium oxysporun f. sp. meloni). We could also detect growth inhibition of different pathogenic bacteria such the bacterial spot disease of tomato and pepper (Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria). This research will focus on characterization of the L12 Pseudozima aphidis isolate mode of actions against B. cinerea and other pathogens and discover the active fractions/compounds responsible for the biocontrol property in the yeast like fungus.

 

The main biological questions of this research project are:

• What are P. aphidis biocontrol mode of actions?

• What antibiotics P. aphidis secreats?